Germany's incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said an 'absolute priority' for him will be to distance Europe from the U.S. following comments by President Donald Trump.

While the far right made historic gains in Germany’s pivotal federal elections on Sunday, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party ultimately thrived with Friedrich Merz securing nearly 29% of the vote and placing him in the top spot to lead the country.

Friedrich Merz is on course to become post-World War II Germany’s 10th chancellor, the culmination of a yearslong political career that was once sidelined by his party’s iconic leader.